


What Would You Ask

by Random_Fandom



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 12:38:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7802161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Random_Fandom/pseuds/Random_Fandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Buy me a coffee?</p><p>https://ko-fi.com/randomfandom</p></blockquote>





	What Would You Ask

Like a lot of things in his life, it starts with Richard Grayson. It starts with the way he slowly stops checking in, stops calling for non-mission reasons, stops saying anything when Damian tells him he's unwanted. Like a lot of things, it starts with Richard Grayson and ends with Tims unbending resolution to do what's right.

Deep down Tim had always expected this. The inevitable realization that he was unwanted outside of his role of Red Robin. But that had never been why he had joined, had never been the reason he had become Robin. It had always been about doing the hard job because who else would?

So Tim did what he had to. He became the perfect CEO, the perfect leader, the perfect backup, the perfect detective; because someone had to.

For a few seconds, Tim can only stare at the flashing name. Dick was calling.  
Tim grimaced, there go his five hours of sleep.  
"Dick, what's the situation?"  
"We need you at the Batcave. It- it'll be easier to explain when you get here but basically time travel."  
"I'll be there in ten." 

Tim entered through the cave, it had been awhile since he had stepped foot in the Manor. It took him all of three seconds to identify the problem. There, staring at the monitors with Dick hovering close stood sixteen-year-old Tim Drake. Jesus was that really what he had looked like? Damian sulked in a corner while Bruce contacted the justice league through another monitor. Tim remembered this when he was watching with younger eyes. He remembered how this played out.

"Don't bother." Tim canceled the communications. "I remember this."

Bruce's voice was ice "You remember this."

Tim ignored him walking to his younger self.

"You have a question for me," Tim remembered exactly why he had done this. Sixteen had been the year from hell before he had become accustomed to the feeling of constantly splitting at the seems.

It was a strange feeling meeting his own eyes and seeing that same anger and cold determination. Is this what others saw when they looked at him?

"Is it worth it?"

The question echoed in the deathly silence. Tim had a brief moment to wish no one else was here.

"No."

His younger-self didn't look surprised.

"Then why?"

Tim understood everything he wasn't saying.

Why should we?  
Why can't we stop?  
Why does no one notice were dying?  
Why does it feel this way?  
Why continue?  
Why do it?  
Why us?  
Why?

"You know why."

His younger-self slumped. The truth he had known and had not wanted to accept.

His younger self's voice was a small desolate thing "Becuase no one else will and someone has to." 

Tims gaze held no pity. He remembered this and it hadn't changed anything.

A small sob escaped his younger self. Just one then he straightened "Thank you." 

Just like that, he was gone. Tim briefly remembered what would follow. Emancipation, leader, C.E.O., present. A series of decisions that would rip him apart and he would do anyway. 

"What the hell was that?" Dick could only be kept silent for so long.

Tim didn't meet anyone's eyes as he left.

**Author's Note:**

> Buy me a coffee?
> 
> https://ko-fi.com/randomfandom


End file.
